The Italian government has cautioned Zambia against accruing more debt from the international market to levels where they can struggle to repay it.

Italian Ambassador to Zambia Filippo Scammacca said it is important for Zambia to avoid the over expansion of debt because it can create more problems for the country.

Ambassador Scammaca said told Hot FM News in an interview that Italy is one of the heavily indebted countries in the world and Zambia should not follow suit.

He said Zambia must not borrow too much and follow Italy’s bad experience but strive to keep the debt within manageable levels.

Zambia’s external debt stock currently stands at 9.51 Billion US dollars.

The Lusaka City Council (LCC) says it will this Saturday, November 24, randomly give out awards to households who will be found with clean surroundings.

And the Council has also declared this Saturday as “NO PLASTIC DAY’ in line with President Edgar Lungu’s re-launch of the Keep Zambia Clean, Green and Healthy campaign by on 28th April, 2018.

Council Assistant Public Relations Manager Brenda Katongola says the exercise will be held in collaboration with key stakeholders such as Shoprite, Food lovers and Spur chain stores, among others in an effort to come up with strategies of making the city clean, green and healthy.

“Lusaka City Council starting this Saturday, November on 24th in collaboration with partners give out awards as one way of encouraging residents to keep their surroundings clean,” Ms. Katongola says in a statement, this evening

She discloses that the local authority has been participating in different activities and also creating awareness in motivating the members of the public to own the clean-up campaign.

She however observes that that many people especially at household level do not fully own the keep clean campaign.

“It has been noticed that many people especially at household level have not fully owned the campaign. Our Council has been engaging different stakeholders to ensure that the objective of keeping Zambia Clean, Green and Healthy is achieved,” she said.

On the No plastic campaign, Ms. Katongola says her local authority is working with the supermarkets in the city to help reduce the plastics given to customers when they buy merchandises.

“Reducing the amount of plastics or carrier bags in the environment given to customers if awareness is raised will gradually culminate into no plastic day not only this month but beyond, “ she states in the same statement.

The Council Assistant Public Relations Manager has thanked residents, companies, business houses, government institutions, schools and churches who have been participating in the keep Zambia Clean, Green and Healthy Campaign.

“The Council is encouraging all residents and business entities in the city of Lusaka to continue subscribing to solid waste and avoid illegal dumping of waste,” Ms. Katongola said.

Ms. Katongola urged the people not to relent in their efforts of achieving a clean green and healthy Zambia by working together.

Government has called on Teacher unions in the country to opt for empowerment based negotiations instead of salary based negotiations for improved conditions of service for their members.

Labour and Social Security Minister Joyce Nonde Simukoko says this is because salary based negotiations always trigger an increase in prices of essential commodities, thereby disadvantaged the Union members from enjoying their salary increments.

Teacher unions should consider negotiating for mortgages and venture into viable ventures to empower their members so they could retire having acquired houses, farms and other properties that would enable them sustain their families, she said.

“Empowerment should be at the core of your negotiations. I have seen people die shortly after retirement not because they are old but because they are not able to look after themselves, so change your attitudes towards life and work,” said the minister.

Mrs. Simukoko said this in Livingstone on Thursday when she officially opened the Zambia National Teachers Union (ZNUT) 11th Quadrennial Conference at Fairmount Hotel.

The minister further said government took great exception to teachers involved in examination malpractices as the vice was detrimental to the country’s development.

Mrs. Simukoko cautioned teachers against leaking examination papers as the long and short-term effects of such actions had a negative impact on the country’s economy and image.

And the Labour Minister warned teacher union leaders to desist from lamenting about issues affecting them without proposing solutions.

“ I hate lamenters. We have been lamenting since 1964 and little has changed. If you are to complain, then offer possible solutions as well since doing so adds value,” she said.

Earlier, Zambia National Union of Teachers (ZNUT) President Beard Mwanza appealed to government to speedily conclude salary negotiations with the union saying his members were highly indebted due to low incomes.

Mr. Mwanza also called on government to address the numerous challenges teachers faced in accessing housing and rural hardship allowances.

“ Some of our members are living in mud and pole houses while others are in remote areas sharing water sources with wild animals but they are denied their respective allowances. Government should give them what is rightly theirs,” he said.

Meanwhile, Teaching Service Commission Chairman Stanely Mhango said the Commission managed to reactivate 1835 positions which saw teachers being promoted to various administrative positions.

Mr. Mhango said over 13,000 human resource cases had been processed since the Commission became operational over a year ago with 7,000 of those cases having been addressed in 2018.

The ZNUT 11Th Quadrennial Conference is being celebrated under the theme: Promoting quality education through social dialogue.

The Zambia Police Service says it is deeply disturbed by a video circulating on social media depicting a naked woman of unknown locality.

Police Service Spokesperson Public Relations Officer Esther Katongo angrily says the victim in the said video is being harassed by a fellow woman on allegations committing adultery with her husband is uncalled for.

Ms. Katongo has therefore called on members of the general public to report to any nearest police station or law enforcement wing on the perpetrators of crime behind this video.

Ms. Katongo in a statement said the suspects have committed an offense of indecent assault.

“There is a disturbing video circulating on social media in which a woman is seen to have been stripped naked and she is being harassed by a fellow woman on allegation that she caught committing adultery with her husband.

“ We’re calling upon the victim in the video to report to any nearest police so that the perpetrators of crime can be arrested, ” Ms. Katongo said.

In the same video some men are heard inciting the woman to beat the victim hence there is need to bring perpetrators including those who were filming thee incident to book.

“The action by the perpetrators as seen in the video amounts to indecent assault,” she sounded.

Minister of Justice Given Lubinda has affirmed government’s position to improve on the dispensation of justice to the Zambian people.

Mr Lubinda observed that for a long time the public has raised concern with the manner in which the Ministry has been delivering its services.

ZANIS reports that Mr. Lubinda said this in Lusaka today, during the launch of the 2018-2021 Balance scorecard, Work place and wellness policy and the Service charter.

The Minister of Justice noted that this is why his ministry came up with the three documents to provide guidelines in the day to day operations and the implementation of the Seventh National Development Plan (SNDP).

He explained that the Ministry of justice has a mandate to provide legal services to government agencies, facilitating the dispensation of justice and promotion of good governance principles and practices.

Mr Lubinda added that the three documents will be used to ensure that public expectations are met by improving delivery.

And Mr. Lubinda further added that the ministry is also carrying out various reforms in some departments all aimed at bettering its service provision.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Justice Permanent Secretary for Administration Thandiwe Oteng has implored the staff to ensure that they adhere to the guidelines laid down in the three documents when executing their duties.

Mrs Oteng also pledged the ministry’s commitment towards improving access to justice and enabling every citizen to seek protection of the law.

Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services Dora Siliya says whilst government is happy with the growing number of radio stations across the country, it is however concerned with the levels of unprofessionalism being perpetrated in some radio stations.

Ms. Siliya says there is need for practitioners and radio broadcasters to ensure high levels of professionalism that upholds journalism ethics with emphasis on truthfulness, objectivity, fairness and honesty.

Ms. Siliya said this in Lusaka today in a speech read on her behalf by Director for Press and Media Development, Isaac Chipampe at the official opening of a two days MISA Zambia 2018 Radio Indaba.

Ms. Siliya called for a self- regulatory regime for the media, to address issues of unprofessionalism.

The Minister however assured delegates that government will continue to create an enabling environment for the media to thrive.

She challenged media players to come up with productions that will protect the industry and increase listenership.

The Minister further disclosed that she will soon be signing a Statutory Instrument (SI), that will ensure that broadcasting regulations are adhered to and that she expects radio stations to address all bad vices in the sector.

And MISA Zambia National Director, Austin Kayanda, noted that the momentum of change in the radio industry is accelerating and has provided a platform to find new pathways in improving radio content.

Mr. Kayanda said the media should remain proactive and relevant at all times.

Meanwhile BBC Media Action Country Director, Soren Johannsen said journalists must be professional, ethical, and be able to abide by strong journalism guidelines, if they are to protect themselves, as well as serve the people.